Can We Please Have A Day Without Hearing Of A Silly Software Patent?

from the just-a-small-request dept

That's right. It seems that a day can't go by without hearing about some case involving a silly software patent that does absolutely nothing towards encouraging innovation, but does plenty to slow down innovation. For example, Bertelsmann has lost in their attempt to have the SightSound patent lawsuit thrown out, and will now go to trial to fight the patent. What patent is it? It's a patent covering "electronic sales and distribution of digital audio or video signals." It doesn't actually specify how that's supposed to happen. Nothing was actually invented with this patent. They just took a basic concept (that digital content would eventually be distributed electronically) and patented that entire concept. Combine this with silly patents from Acacia (patent on streaming media) and E-Data (patent on downloading media) and you'll discover that the very idea of thinking about delivering online content was probably patented by someone who's just sitting on the patent waiting for some company to sue.